Investments in and Advances to Unconsolidated Entities (Details Textual) (USD $)	12 Months Ended							12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended			3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended														3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended							12 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012	Oct. 31, 2011	Oct. 31, 2013 Development Joint Venture [Member]	Oct. 31, 2012 Development Joint Venture [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Development Joint Venture [Member]	Nov. 15, 2011 Development Joint Venture [Member]	Oct. 31, 2012 WBLH venture [Member]	Oct. 31, 2013 WBLH venture [Member]	Oct. 31, 2012 Travisso Venture [Member]	Oct. 31, 2013 Travisso Venture [Member]	Apr. 30, 2013 Travisso Venture [Member]	Jul. 31, 2013 Baker Ranch [Member]	Oct. 31, 2013 Baker Ranch [Member]	Oct. 31, 2013 Home Building Joint Ventures [Member]	Oct. 31, 2012 Home Building Joint Ventures [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Home Building Joint Ventures [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Planned Community Joint Venture [Member]	Oct. 31, 2013 Condominium JV Metro NY market [Member]	Oct. 31, 2013 Condominium hotel joint venture [Member]	Oct. 31, 2013 Rental Joint Ventures, Total [Member]	Oct. 31, 2012 Rental Joint Ventures, Total [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Rental Joint Ventures, Total [Member]	Oct. 31, 2013 Velocity Venture [Member]	Oct. 31, 2013 Provost venture [Member]	Oct. 31, 2013 Multi-family residential apartment Joint Venture [Member]	Oct. 31, 2013 Hotel [Member]	Oct. 31, 2013 Structured Asset Joint Venture [Member]	Oct. 31, 2013 Structured Asset Joint Venture [Member]	Oct. 31, 2012 Structured Asset Joint Venture [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Structured Asset Joint Venture [Member]	Jan. 31, 2014 Trust II [Member]	Oct. 31, 2013 Trust II [Member]	Oct. 31, 2013 Trust I [Member]	Oct. 31, 2012 Trust I [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Trust I [Member]	Oct. 31, 2013 Joint Ventures, variable interest entities [Member]	Oct. 31, 2012 Joint Ventures, variable interest entities [Member]	Oct. 31, 2013 Phase one [Member] Baker Ranch [Member]	Oct. 31, 2013 Future phases [Member] Baker Ranch [Member]	Oct. 31, 2013 Minimum [Member]	Oct. 31, 2013 Maximum [Member]
Statement of Investments in and Advances to Unconsolidated Entities [Line Items]
Restricted Cash Held in Defeasance Account Used to Repay Debt																												$ 155,921,000	$ 155,921,000	$ 237,476,000
Investments in and Advances to Unconsolidated Entities (Textual) [Abstract]
Impairment Charges	0	(2,311,000)	40,870,000		25,700,000													15,200,000
Loan guaranteed settled						327,900,000
payment made on guarantee							57,600,000
Investments in joint ventures	403,133,000	330,617,000		142,448,000	116,452,000						20,100,000			105,200,000	166,271,000	135,688,000			119,500,000	8,300,000	68,711,000	41,134,000		14,700,000	22,500,000	15,600,000	4,900,000	25,703,000	25,703,000	37,343,000			2,200,000	(900,000)			22,900,000	26,500,000
Number of floors in apartment building																									38
Income (loss) from unconsolidated entities	14,392,000	23,592,000	(1,194,000)	3,288,000	3,995,000	(25,272,000)									1,471,000	15,303,000	14,895,000				3,965,000	1,602,000	3,844,000						5,668,000	2,692,000	5,339,000	20,000,000
Funding Commitments to Joint Ventures	92,100,000			26,000,000							12,500,000			10,000,000	38,200,000				8,100,000	21,800,000	27,900,000				8,000,000	0	17,800,000	0	0								41,700,000	47,700,000
Number of joint ventures expected to get project financing															1
Number of acres owned by venture									945
Number of homesites to be developed by venture									1,300		2,900
repayment guarantees on JV debt	25,200,000
Ground lease guarantee	9,600,000																			7,400,000							2,100,000										9,600,000
Other guarantee	2,000,000
Ground lease and other, guarantee	11,600,000																																					9,800,000
Number of floors to be acquired from JV																			18
Owned by Third Party																																	50.00%	33.30%
Percentage ownership held by company								50.00%		50.00%			50.00%	50.00%					50.00%	50.00%				50.00%	50.00%	50.00%	50.00%	20.00%					50.00%	33.30%
Percentage of lots expected to be sold to partners								50.00%
Transfer of Inventory to Investment	54,761,000	5,793,000																						27,100,000	27,600,000
Return of Investments from Unconsolidated Entities	69,809,000	38,368,000	43,309,000																					12,500,000	10,600,000
Venture payment to align capital accounts																									1,200,000
Contribution of cash to joint venture									11,800,000			15,500,000
Aggregate Loan Commitments											25,000,000			80,000,000							193,800,000			54,000,000	120,000,000
Maximum amount of line of credit commitment											40,000,000
Borrowed against Loan Commitments	65,700,000										22,900,000			42,800,000							14,400,000			0	0
Guarantor Obligations, Term																																									P30M	P48M
Number of Units in Real Estate Property														2,000										287		398
Percentage ownership held by JV																												40.00%
Percent owned by Company's Management																																		33.30%
Number of lots to be acquired from joint venture																																							266	545
Payments to Acquire Interest in Joint Venture	93,398,000	217,160,000	132,000										110,000,000
Development finance and management services recognized during period																																		4,200,000	2,700,000	2,900,000
Total joint venture loan commitments subject to guarantees	279,000,000
Aggregate exposure with respect to its estimated obligations	3,804,000	2,135,000
Guarantor Obligations, Maximum Exposure, Undiscounted	279,000,000																											0	0
Maxiumum guarantor obigation for borrowings by JVs	65,700,000
Guarantees, Fair Value Disclosure	$ 1,600,000
variable interest entity, number of entities, not primary beneficiary	3